"We need to stop the decline in homeownership."

Oops.

Every time McCain laughs, he snarls. It's not attractive.

That didn't sound too angry or anything...

I normally consider myself a fiscal conservative, but even before September I thought deficit spending on infrastructure and new energy would be worthwhile. After September, don't we all understand that the federal government is the spender of last resort? Pump money into the economy with decent construction and research jobs--that makes a ton of sense right now. And instead McCain is freezing spending and following in the shoes of Hoover's frugality?

I get that we go with the guy whose policies and style we already like, but it's like McCain has not even an Econ 101 grasp of the issues....No wonder only 90 economists signed their letter from 100 economists.

And if McCain went online and read blogs, he'd know he's at 100% negative ads these past couple of weeks.

Really great when you can hear McCain sniff and snort while Obama is speaking. Impressive.

He's lost it all right here.

Seriously, the hardest I've laughed all campaign season.

Because they assist poor people, and help them register to vote, which is like stealing in the eyes of a Republican.

Wow. He's owning the people at his rallies, every last one of them.

In his heart, McCain will always know that the tone of his campaign was All Obama's Fault for not doing townhalls.

Does the base know McCain favors federal funding for stem cell research?

Someone get McCain a glass of water or something.

No one can defeat the power cosmic-wielding might of the Fucking Flaming Acorn!

But McCain is getting in some good points. He looks like he's fighting, which is good, but he goes overboard. He looks angry. And he looks smug, again. I don't think smug smells. Does it?

Great observation about Obama realizing he is on TV. John can not control his facial expressions.

Also, I am seriously going to turn the channel he brings up "Joe Plumber" one more time. Joe Sixpack was bad enough. And why can't he Tyrone Plumber or Raheem Plumber or Jose Plumber....

http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_josephine.htm

That. Does. Not. Grok.

And there's something, um, cockamamie about that.

sorry

Which explains why Moe's comment was held up.

Yeah, I'm out for presidents to represent me, oh yeah!!!!

OK, you think I'm crazy, but look again...

The US has more CHILDREN per capita than any of our economic peers.

So it makes sense that we have to spend more to educate our treasures.

How does that work, exactly?

He's a McCain, and therefore he deserves it. Otherwise, he'll never live up to his daddy's name.

That whole whiny "I demand an apology for Lewis" tirade was such a turn-off.

Nah, that comparison works better for Krauthammer. Althought maybe that's a low blow...

When I hear a politician use the word, Promise, it makes my blood run cold.

But it's really disappointing that the one issue that has sunk McCain over all others - the economy, wasn't really discussed. Where were the bailout plan questions?

Not that I think either of these guys have any deep thoughts having spent most of their professional years in government, but it would have been illuminating on what is clearly the most important issue to most voters.

Watching fox, and Frank Luntz asked a group of 23 'independents':

How many of you came in here voting for Obama?
(no hands raised)
How many of you thought that Obama won the debate?
(about 16 hands raised)

But they still say that despite that, they still don't trust him and are voting for the McCainiac

He then asked if any of them switched positions..

4 people RELUCTANTLY raised their hands, and one by one he asked them who they went over to, and ALL of them when to Obama.

``````
Props to Ta for this one:
"10:25 Great ending...to the McCain campaign. He's laughing because he doesn't know how much he's bleeding."

Bullshit. What was the lie, exactly?

"Not that I think either of these guys have any deep thoughts having spent most of their professional years in government"

How absurd.

He does have a litmus test - why else would he oppose Roberts and Alito. He did vote against the Illinois Born Alive act with the very same protections he said he needed. Wouldn't even let it out of committee.

"How absurd."

Really? What evidence do you have that either of these two have even the slightest clue about derivatives? CMBS risk pricing? The potential for inflation from the bailout? They can't even answer a straight question on what they'd cut to pay for spending.

Or do you think it's absurd that they've spent most of their lives in government service and they probably have little knowledge of the nuts and bolts of business issues?

And Obama accuses the McCain supporters of slurs. There are a lot of things you can accuse McCain of, but I am certain you wouldn't say that to his face. He is a man's man, whose courage is beyond question.

Silliest line they both agree on? We won't buy oil from this or that country.

Dumbya Bush spent most of his life drunk and in the private sector. How did he do when it came to the economy, chuckles?

Not so well - the 1st "MBA president" pretty much crapped out.

So yes, I think your comment is absurd. Amazingly so.

We'll do it by building nuclear plants, when we import 90% of the uranium and Russia is our biggest supplier.

Huh?

He's also a former prisoner of war. Plus he was in Vietnam.

very good point. McCain notably did not mention that he would get us off Russian oil, only Middle-eastern and Venezuelan.

In some ways, this is the bigger concern.

Pretty shitty, mostly because he doubled our national debt. Why, are you a fan of his economic policy?

"Not so well - the 1st "MBA president" pretty much crapped out."

Maybe reading isn't your thing, but I made no comments about his degree. I referred to the fact that two guys who have spent their lifetimes in government likely no little about economic issues affecting businesses, including banks. You've yet to show why this is an absurd position. Chuckles.

Hey, in other news, CNN's called the debate for Obama: 58% to 31%.

There's a ship or sea for everyone.

Barry really is good with the sharp one liners, yeah?

Got a source for that claim? Why would we buy 90% from Russia when Australia has 24% of the world's supply, and Russia has less than 10%?

http://www.cameco.com/uranium_101/uranium_science/uranium/

If Obama had promised that, please tell us how exactly he would achieve it? Do the barrells have the country of origin on them? Is he going to keep US refiners from buying them if so?

You're wrong. I would call him a punk.ass.bitch to his face. After what he's done? I have no qualms whatsoever. He betrayed this country when he put forth that woman as a VP nominee. NOBODY who took THE PRESIDENCY seriously would have put this country in that bind.

Matt:
although I suspect this is a futile exercise, Fred's claims were that the U.S. imports 90% of our uranium, and that Russia is the U.S.'s largest supplier of uranium. neither claim is addressed by your stats.

The Republicans nominated the one guy who had a shot because you can't really tie him to Bush, since even the Repub base doesn't like him because he didn't stay close to Bush. Of course, if your base doesn't like you, that's a problem too.

It's a Democratic year, simply because voters do want change. Obama is long on platitudes, short on specifics, but hey, that's a winning strategy and he should be applauded for recognizing it. He is different in many ways from Bush, and in the ways they are similar (their profilgate spending) those are ways Democrats like.

We're getting an unknown, just like we did 8 years ago. It will be interesting and exciting to see who he really is. Let's hope he doesn't plunge us even further into debt. Or that he's at least willing to curb the most egregious excesses of a Democratic Congress. One party rule is always a little frightening.

last comment to you.

John McCain hasn't earned any respect from me. When he sat up there and defended the Klan-like rallies that he and Palin have been holding for the past 2 weeks, as if the pages of history aren't littered with what happens to Black folk when they are alone and come across said crowds,

As a Black person, I'm done.

Sorry, I thought it would be obvious that the US would not import 90% of its uranium from Russia when it could get it from a close ally who has a lot more - to the extent it's not a world market.

Here, does this satisfy you as to the ludicrousness of his claim?

http://www.fool.com/news/associated-press/2007/12/04/us-oks-some-uranium-imports-from-russia.aspx

Also, note the last sentence in this one:

http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/02/03/afx4607863.html

Seriously, it's common sense.

"Just because some people don't have the chance to be a POW doesn't mean that everyone is a coward. "

You're right Stacy, which is why I DID NOT SAY THAT.

As an uninformed person, you were done when you made your claim of "Klan-like rallies". Do at least a little research to back up your nonsense before accusing someone of stirring up racism.

What matters is not the country of origin but the destination of the dollars. The fact that Russia is in the position to bail out Iceland's debt and post a task force to Venezuela has everything to do with the strength of the global oil market.

We need to cut at the price of oil, and it is tragic that we failed to do so before the Russians bought their military back from the pawn shop. If offshore drilling can reshape the psychology of the oil markets -- as McCain claims -- so too can a serious commitment to wind, solar, and geothermal.

I don't worry about Barack Obama, he's got the Secret Service.

I worry about that Black Soundman, who worked for one of the networks, who was called out his name by folks at one of those rallies. I wonder what would have happened to him if he hadn't of been with his colleagues. He could be my brother, cousin, father, nephew, uncle, father or grandfather.

There's little room for interpretation for
KILL HIM
TERRORIST
BOMB OBAMA
Bringing MONKEYS to RALLIES

Maybe in your world, there's room for interpretation. But, as a Black person, who actually knows American history, there's no room for interpretation.

"Sorry, I thought it would be obvious that the US would not import 90% of its uranium from Russia"
GAH! We import 90% of our uranium. Period. That was the claim. A claim which is, in fact, correct:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/umar/summarytable1.html

Second claim: "Russia is our biggest supplier." I have no idea if this is true. But your second link says that Russia supplies or will soon supply 20% of the U.S. consumption. Common sense? Maybe not.

To agree with an earlier poster - this was the line of the night from all the blogs I have read.

And you're wondering if today we import most of it from Russia?

Really? You're right though, you shouldn't respond to people you disagree with if you're not going to use your head.

Of course, none of this has anything to do with the fact that the only way to be energy independent (which I think Obama has now backed off of and is on the whole "not buying from certain countries" nonsense) in 10 years is via some already proven alternative energy sources, of which the most productive today is nuclear power.

Unless he's going to have the government pick winners and losers in the alternative energy scene and massively subsidize one or the other. Which works out for certain producers, but not so great for the country - see also: Ethanol.

I just had to submit this as the quote of the night. Coetes killed it in the live blog. I was at a function and missed it, but he made me feel like i saw it.

Good job at blogging. You and Sullivan were very good.

When I asked the bartender if they were going to show the game, he said no and suggested a bar down the street as he pointed to a sign which read: "If you're looking for a man's man, you've come to the right bar".

Rikyrah, with Sen. McCain stationed near Vietnam and then as a POW from '67 to '73, I wonder how much he really knows or understands the dynamics of Wallace campaign rallies for President in '64, '68 & '72. To me, if he were in the States at the time, he certainly would have understood Rep. Lewis's cautionary advice.

Pretty shitty, mostly because he doubled our national debt. Why, are you a fan of his economic policy?

"Not so well - the 1st "MBA president" pretty much crapped out."

Maybe reading isn't your thing, but I made no comments about his degree. I referred to the fact that two guys who have spent their lifetimes in government likely no little about economic issues affecting businesses, including banks. You've yet to show why this is an absurd position. Chuckles."

It's absurd because Dumbya Bush, who spent MOST OF HIS LIFE OUTSIDE OF GOVERNMENT, knew nothing about economic issues and still doesn't. There's no reason to think private sector experience confers great knowledge in that department, chuckles. And besides, Obama has a much more extensive record outside of government than McCain does. You could even look it up.

Who was your candidate? The hopelessly clueless Mitt Romney? Yikes.

Hey, if private sector experience is so valuable, why are all of these companies reduced to begging for bailouts? Your argument is crap.

Well, no, it's not. There were POWs who didn't cave in under questioning. McCain was called "Songbird" by some soldiers at the time.

So it's not like the question can't be raised. And since McCain stood by while Kerry was maligned, fuck McCain.

I do not want someone that angry making decisions for the country about nuclear strikes and going to war. I do not want someone who is that unable to control, or even fake, his own emotions to be negotiating with Ahmadinejad, Putin et al.

Cheap shot, I know, but I am genuinely scared that McCain could be the next president. Who was our last really angry president? Nixon was more paranoid and insecure than angry, I think. Clinton at least knew how to control his temper in public (at least he did while he was still president). And say what you want about Bush (and I'm sure we all have a lot to say), but his temper was never something I worry about.

McCain said "spreading the wealth" like it's a dirty word or something. Ooh, cooties! Guess what, these days, when you say "spreading the wealth", people's mind don't automatically go to that socialist-commie-pinko-we're-turning-into-Stalin-Soviet place anymore. We just partly nationalized some banks and there haven't been a riot on the streets yet. Shouting "class warfare" and "spreading the wealth" won't win you the election, Senator.

What I took from this debate is the Obama is full of BS and McCain is a big, whiny baby who doesn't know what he's talking about most of the time and can't remember what his opponent said thirty seconds ago.

Do you have a hat to eat? "Real America vs elite" is pretty clearly more what's termed "culture warfare" rather than "class warfare." Class warfare refers to pitting economic classes against each other.

They are trying to have it both ways, one day supposedly fighting for the common man through the culture aspects, and the next ranting on Obama for "spreading the wealth". In my mind, that is engaging is class warfare.

Apparently.

That was a really terrible performance from McCain. Painfully so. People are afraid to come right out and say he's losing and this election is now Obama's, but there we have it.

Funny, funny stuff!!

*tears rolling*

And yes, 'Joe the Plumber' does remind one of the *waaah, waaaaaah, waaah* soundtracks of the 70's!